Chozen
A Japanese name meaning "to be chosen" or "selection".
Name Census estimates that about 1,145 living Americans carry the first name Chozen. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 85.1% of registrations being male. The average person named Chozen today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chozen births was 2024 (397 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chozen. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Chozen is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 4 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 299,349 Americans
Peak year
2024
397 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2024 SSA rank
#745
Tracked since 2004
Gender
Gender distribution for Chozen
Chozen leans heavily male at 85.1% of total registrations, but 172 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Chozen as a male name
- Ranked #745 in 2024
- 343 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (343 births)
Chozen as a female name
- Ranked #3,018 in 2024
- 54 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (63 births)
Popularity
Chozen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chozen from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 1,023 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chozen by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Chozen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Chozens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 22 states and territories. Georgia, North Carolina, Florida recorded the most babies named Chozen, while New Jersey, Kentucky, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 32 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chozen
Chozen is a name with a rich and fascinating history, originating from the ancient Japanese language. Its roots can be traced back to the 8th century CE, during the Nara period of Japanese history. The name is believed to be derived from the Japanese word "chōzen," which means "highest" or "most exalted."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chozen can be found in the "Kojiki," an ancient Japanese chronicle that dates back to 712 CE. In this text, Chozen is mentioned as the name of a revered Buddhist monk who played a significant role in the spread of the religion throughout Japan.
As Buddhism gained a more prominent foothold in Japanese culture, the name Chozen became associated with spiritual enlightenment and wisdom. Many Buddhist monks and scholars adopted this name as a symbol of their dedication to the teachings of the Buddha.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Chozen. One such person was Chozen Bori (1360-1438), a renowned Zen Buddhist monk who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism in Japan. Another famous bearer of the name was Chozen Giga (1524-1605), a skilled calligrapher and artist whose works are still celebrated today.
In the realm of literature, Chozen Natsume (1867-1916) was a prominent Japanese novelist and scholar who made significant contributions to the development of modern Japanese literature. His works, such as "Kokoro" and "Botchan," continue to be widely read and studied.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the name Chozen gained popularity among samurai warriors and members of the nobility. One noteworthy figure from this era was Chozen Tokugawa (1719-1786), a skilled swordsman and military strategist who served as a prominent advisor to the Tokugawa shogunate.
While the name Chozen has its roots in Japanese culture, it has also been adopted by individuals in other parts of the world, particularly those with an interest in or connection to Japanese history and traditions. However, its widespread use remains predominantly within Japan, where it continues to be a revered and respected name.
People
Chozen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chozen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chozen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chozen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,145 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chozen going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 299,349 US residents.
Is Chozen a common name?
We classify Chozen as "Rare". It ranks above 90.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,152 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chozen most popular?
The single biggest year for Chozen was 2024, when 397 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chozen is about 4 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chozen a male name?
Yes, 85.1% of people registered as Chozen in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.